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SIREN — NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYED TO FERGUSON: Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed an executive order to deploy the National Guard to Ferguson, citing the need to restore “peace and order” to the community, more than a week after protests erupted over the shooting by a police officer of an unarmed, black 18-year-old. USA Today has more:

“Nixon made the announcement following another night of clashes between police and protesters in the suburb of St. Louis. Sunday night and early Monday morning, protesters shot at police, threw Molotov cocktails at officers, looted local businesses, and carried out a ‘coordinated attempt’ to block roads and overrun the police's command center.” http://usat.ly/1teuRWH

ON THAT NOTE … LEVIN VOWS REVIEW OF PROGRAM TO TRANSFER SURPLUS MILITARY EQUIPMENT: Members of Congress, seeing the images coming out of Ferguson, continue to have second thoughts about the Defense Logistics Agency program that transfers surplus military equipment to local police departments. On Friday, Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin became the latest lawmaker to promise a review of the program, approved under the fiscal 1997 National Defense Authorization Act.

“Before the defense authorization bill comes to the Senate floor, we will review this program to determine if equipment provided by the Defense Department is being used as intended," Levin said in a statement.

What exactly was the program’s intended use? "Congress established this program out of real concern that local law enforcement agencies were literally outgunned by drug criminals,” the Michigan Democrat explained. “We intended this equipment to keep police officers and their communities safe from heavily armed drug gangs and terrorist incidents.”

MEANWHILE, IN IRAQ — IRAQI FORCES PUSH TO RETAKE MOSUL DAM, via The Washington Post’s Liz Sly, Craig Whitlock and Loveday Morris: “Islamic State fighters were on the run in northern Iraq on Sunday after Iraqi and Kurdish forces, backed by U.S. airstrikes, closed in on a strategically vital dam in the most significant attempt yet to reverse the militants’ blitz through Iraq. Iraqi and Kurdish commanders claimed to be making swift progress, slicing through a series of villages and then reaching the dam after a wave of U.S. attacks in which fighter jets, drones and bombers pummeled the extremists’ positions.

“It was the biggest offensive since the latest U.S. intervention in Iraq was announced 10 days ago, and it signaled an expansion of what was originally defined as a narrowly focused mission to protect American personnel in Iraq and help fleeing Yazidi villagers trapped on a mountain.” http://wapo.st/1oTNV8j

-- President Barack Obama, in a letter yesterday notifying Congress of the dam operation: “I authorized the U.S. Armed Forces to conduct targeted air strikes to support operations by the Iraqi forces to recapture the Mosul Dam. … The failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians, endanger U.S. personnel and facilities, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services to the Iraqi populace.”

HAPPY MONDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where our legs are still sore from a 60-mile bike ride on Saturday up the C&O Canal and across the Potomac at White's Ferry. Big thanks to the Leesburg residents who helped us find our way from the ferry to the elusive W&OD Trail. As always, keep your tips and pitches (and favorite bike routes) coming to awright@politico.com, and follow us on Twitter @abwrig and @morningdefense

-- CONGRATULATIONS TO MIKE AMATO, communications director for the House Armed Services minority staff, on his marriage Saturday to Jessica Geller, an attorney at the Discovery Channel.

HAPPENING TODAY: The president has returned from his vacation in Martha's Vineyard for several meetings with top advisers. At 10:35 a.m., he and Vice President Joe Biden meet in the Roosevelt Room with members of the National Security Council to discuss Iraq. And at 1:15 p.m., he meets with Attorney General Eric Holder on the situation in Ferguson, Missouri.

THE U.S. DRONE DOLDRUMS? The military is leaving the golden era of drones and entering the drone doldrums, skeptics warn — with the Pentagon’s vision for what it might achieve far outstripping the projects actually underway. POLITICO’s Philip Ewing has the story:

“Air Force and Navy officials are doing what they can to dial down the capabilities of future generations of unmanned aircraft — at least ones the public is allowed to know about. Exhibit A is the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program. It was once envisioned — including by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work — as a stealthy, fast, high-tech attacker.

“Now the Navy says it wants a lighter, slower, simpler surveillance drone. Drone-builder Northrop Grumman and its allies in Congress, led by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va), are crying foul.” http://politico.pro/1o3bYBu

TWO SIDES DIG IN AS GAZA CEASE-FIRE DEADLINE APPROACHES, via The Associated Press, from Cairo: “Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Egypt-mediated Gaza truce talks hardened their positions Monday ahead of the expiration of a five-day cease-fire, though both sides appear reluctant to return to the deadly all-out fighting that has destroyed large parts of the densely-populated coastal strip.

“A Palestinian negotiator, Qais Abdul Karim, told The Associated Press that on Sunday, Israel pressed for guarantees that Hamas and other militant factions in Gaza would be disarmed, while the Palestinians demanded an end to the blockade without preconditions.” http://bit.ly/1lcBGsC

TOP TALKER — “Ernst says she was sexually harassed in the military,” by Jay Newton-Small of Time magazine: “Republican state Sen. Joni Ernst, who is running for Senate and served more than 20 years in the military, said Friday that she was sexually harassed in the military and, given her experience, is backing the removal of cases of sexual assault from the military chain of command, a position that puts her at odds with much of the GOP.

“Rep. Bruce Braley, Ernst’s Democratic opponent, currently has a television ad up in Iowa about legislation he sponsored strengthening protections for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the military.” http://ti.me/YlSEdJ

SCHATZ DEFEATS HASC’S HANABUSA: Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz has edged out Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, in their Democratic Senate primary — with the AP calling the race nearly a week after voting began. POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Edward-Isaac Dovere: “Schatz now enters a general election race against Republican Cam Cavasso, who’s seeking the seat for the third time. The winner would fill the remaining two years of late Sen. Daniel Inouye’s term and likely run for reelection in 2016.” http://politi.co/1o39x1Y

-- Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), both Iraq war veterans, call for a vigorous U.S. response to ISIL gains. The Hill: http://bit.ly/1puwb84

-- The Missouri governor says on ABC’s “This Week” that “all of us were thunderstruck” by the “overmilitarization” of police in Ferguson. POLITICO: http://politi.co/1td7MEO

SPEED READ

-- In a week of flights, the military delivers 114,000 meals and 35,000 gallons of water to Iraq to help refugees fleeing the Islamic State. Military Times: http://goo.gl/7uXJUC

-- The escalating crises in the Middle East and Ukraine test the evolving Obama doctrine. Defense News: http://goo.gl/g9373q

-- New York Times correspondent Alissa Rubin writes about being in a helicopter crash while reporting on the rescue operation to save Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/1vYEJJw

-- Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says his visit to Tehran and talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani were “useful.” Reuters: http://reut.rs/1oHafI2